


Karma

by Firecadet



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff and Humor, Gen, Laser-Guided Karma, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Payback, Revenge, mostly comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:48:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23805613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firecadet/pseuds/Firecadet
Summary: Inspired by 'Fake News' by for_darkness_shows_the_stars, and in which the various hurts Ahsoka has suffered from the media are repaid.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 17
Kudos: 241





	1. Sludge

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Fake News](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23705512) by [for_darkness_shows_the_stars](https://archiveofourown.org/users/for_darkness_shows_the_stars/pseuds/for_darkness_shows_the_stars). 



> Written with the permission of by for_darkness_shows_the_stars

Once he had the full story, it didn’t take Anakin that long to identify the program responsible for his Padawan’s distress. The description of the hosts, the broadcast slot, and the subject matter quickly narrowed it down to a single broadcast.

And then it was a matter of what action to take. His initial instinct was to deploy immediately and take direct revenge for what they’d said about his Padawan. And then he paused. And did some research. It wasn’t long before he found a recording of that morning’s broadcast. And when he did, he went from simple anger, to cold, arctic fury. They were focusing entirely on their appearances and talking about his partnership with Obi-Wan as if it was some sort of pairing from an entertainment holo that had just had a new co-star added to it. Even Master Yoda wasn’t spared an insult, simply for not being ‘dashing’.

He knew exactly what these two creatures were. They were bullies. Not the sort who physically confront their victims. The sort who make snide comments about their victims, never quite in their hearing, and turn others against them. The sort who use any deviation from their personal norms as a weapon to attack anyone who was slightly different. To whip up a mob against the deviator and drive them from their home.

It wasn’t his first encounter with such media, by any means. But to insult Ahsoka, and wish her dead, simply because she affected the facile appeal of ‘The Team’… Anakin wanted to make them pay for that.

Deep down, he didn’t just want to make them pay. He wanted them to suffer for it, and then die. _It would be easy_ , a part of his mind whispered. _Call their show tomorrow, when they were beginning their shtick, and then…_

He pushed that part of his mind away. And then he called Obi-Wan.

“Master.” Anakin said, as soon as Obi-Wan had answered his commlink. “I need some advice.”

“About Ahsoka?” Obi-Wan asked. “What has she done this time?”

“Watched sludgenews, Master. About her, and us.”

There was a sense of a deep breath being taken. “What did they say?”

“I don’t want to repeat it, Master.” Anakin admitted. “But, to give you a flavour ‘ _Some little runt’_ is about the kindest thing they said about her, while criticising her appearance and lack of attractiveness, supposedly in comparison to us.” there was a snort from Obi-Wan at that. “And they topped it off by saying that they hoped she would die soon, given dangerous they’d heard battlefields were.”

“What is your proposed solution, Anakin?”

Anakin allowed himself a wintery, predatory smile, with a lot of teeth. Or at least, that’s what such an expression would technically be described as. Obi-Wan winced.

“Anakin, whatever you’re planning…”

“Relax, Master.” Anakin said, sounding a lot more jovial. “I think I know exactly what I’m going to do to them. The 224th are still on Minban, aren’t they?”

“Anakin…”

“And I know how much it boosts clone morale when Core Worlds journalists find their way out into the Expansion Region to document their efforts.”

Obi-Wan coughed into his hand several times, shoulders shaking. “Anakin, that’s brilliant.” He observed. “Sending a pair of Sludgers who normally broadcast from armchairs and sending them out to a literal swarm planet, which, from what I’ve heard, smells like a Rancor’s armpit at the best of times, to actually see a battlefield or three…”

“Exactly my thinking, Master.”

“Do you want to make the call to their station, or should I?”

“I’m sure that they’ll appreciate it much more coming from you, Master.”

A couple of days later, Anakin received a short message, with nothing more than a channel listing and a time. He sent a short message to Ahsoka, instructing her to attend his quarters at around that time, for some training.

At the appointed time, he turned on the channel, just before Ahsoka came into the room, trailing a faint aroma of oil and sweat, and recognised who was on the screen almost immediately. She froze, stiffening.

“Master…” Anakin could hear the betrayal, hurt and pain in her voice, as well as through their bond. For a moment, he could see her battling not to flee his quarters. He focused on sending reassurance through their bond, calm thoughts of safety and relaxation.

“Ahsoka.” He replied. “Sit down.”

“But…” and then she looked more closely at the screen, rather than just picking out the two central figures.

“…the situation here on Minban is relatively stable, although the 224th ‘Mud Jumpers’ are still seeing regular combat.” The twi’lek she’d last seen wishing her dead said. “Casualties are relatively light, although the aftermath of even the smallest battles are enough to turn your stomach.” The twi’lek looked green at the gills just thinking about it. She turned to her Devaronian colleague, who was looking uncomfortable in a jumpsuit and waterproof boots, identical to those she was wearing. “We went out on patrol with a platoon of the 224th earlier to get a taste of what they’re dealing with.”

The program cut away to a pre-prepared section with a voice over.

Ahsoka turned back to her Master with glowing blue eyes. “Skyguy, you didn’t…” she said, before laughing. “You sent them to the muddiest, smelliest planet you could think of… because of what they said about me?”

“Ahsoka, you’re not their only target.” He smiled, without any of the winteriness that had sometimes coloured the expression. “But, yes. I thought, as they’d never seen a battlefield, that they should get to see one first-hand.”

Ahsoka actually doubled over for a moment.

“There are also some vouchers.” Anakin told her, once she’d stopped cackling. “As our last meal was ruined, I thought we should try again.”

Ahsoka threw her arms around her Master, before dashing out of the room to change out of the clothes she’d been wearing while maintaining her starfighter. Anakin smiled. Even if he couldn’t protect her from people like that… he could give her back that sense of joy. And that was what mattered, at times like this.


	2. Gossip

After a few minutes of sparring, Rex was decidedly pleased that Ahsoka wasn’t any larger or stronger than she already was. With the Force involved, the only thing that even allowed him to land any strikes was her comparatively shorter reach, and his ability to push through some of her weaker blocks. She was fast, his _Jetii’ika._ Even with the Force only whispering in her ear, he could barely touch her. He barely blocked an elbow to the face, and then a knee to the stomach, with centimetres to spare. He was definitely glad she wasn’t larger. He remembered three of the 501st sparring with General Skywalker. They’d barely even laid hands on him in fifteen minutes, working together.

Eventually, they separated, and Ahsoka nodded. Rex returned the nod and centred himself. A moment later, the Togruta came at him, jumping clean over his head, but not quite clearing his reach. A quick hand closed around her trailing ankle, and there was a very undignified squawk from Ahsoka as Rex suddenly took control of the movement, using her momentum to spin himself around, leaving her with her montrals brushing the mat. A moment later, her free leg lashed out, forcefully, connecting with a rather sensitive part of Rex with the clack of a boot striking plastoid. Ahsoka paused, startled, and that was all the time Rex needed to achieve a more complete hold. He pulled her down on top of him with one of his arms around her knees, another around her waist, away from anything that might lead to embarrassment, and a leg looped around her neck. When she didn’t tap out immediately and began to squirm, trying to get free, he simply applied pressure to the sides of her neck, promoting a sudden and immediate tap-out from Ahsoka.

Rex let her up at that point.

“You did well.” He commented.

Ahsoka looked embarrassed for a moment. “I shouldn’t have tried to jump over you.” She admitted.

“You almost made it. If you hadn’t taken that third step, you’d have got over fine.” Rex observed.

“I’ll make a note for next time.”

“Now… tell me more about these reporters.” Rex growled.

“I bought a magazine.” Ahsoka admitted, feeling her montrals burning. “On the mission. I knew it was stupid and I’d only get offended and upset, but…”

“You couldn’t help yourself.” The soft observation lacked any semblance of condemnation or criticism.

She nodded, looking at the floor.

“Well, the first thing you need is a shower, and then a game of murder-ball.”

Ahsoka disappeared in the direction of the showers in an orange blur.

After setting her, three squads of shinies, and a squad from Torrent loose in the hangar bay, Rex quietly made his way to her quarters. Technically, clones weren’t allowed in there. In practice, General Skywalker didn’t mind, and he knew that Ahsoka wasn’t overly concerned. He was, after all, only there to remove the contents of her trash disposal.

Most of it went straight in the nearest recycler, to be processed into more useful things. The magazine, on the other hand, stayed with the Clone Commander as he returned to his quarters. Opening it up, he was shocked by the vapidity of most of the content. Gossip, personality quizzes, articles about popular musicians… and then he got to the article about Ahsoka. He scanned it. The magazine went flying across his quarters, accompanied by a volley of swear words in eight languages that practically blistered the paint on the opposite wall. Then he retrieved it, opening the front cover and scanning that. It didn’t take him long to find an address on Coruscant that the office was sited in.

And that was when he logged onto his terminal, and booted up the GAR command communications system.

_CT-7567: Fox, I need to talk._

A few moments later, there was a response. _CC-1010: Rex, it’s three in the morning._

_CT-7567: But you’re awake, Vod._

_CC-1010: Don’t rub it in._

_CT-7567: I have a problem with my jetti’ika. Not that sort of problem, or the other sort, and definitely not that sort._

_CC-1010: So, nothing to concern the Jetii’alors with._

_CT-7567: No._

_CC-1010: Why are you calling me, anyway?_

_CT-7567: Because some shabuir decided to call her a veriduur._

_CC-1010: Nar'sheb._

_CT-7567: I thought they could use a muun'bajir._

_CC-1010: For calling a jetti that, a muun’bajir is the least their shebs deserves._

_CT-7567: I’ll send you the details._

_CC-1010: I’ll see to it personally, Vod._

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Fox turned away from his console, rubbing his eyes. The idea of anyone calling a Jedi a _veriduur_ … that was unacceptable, to any clone. His terminal chimed with an address, and a name. With nothing better to do, Fox began his research.

An hour later, three kalik’kads were embedded in the wall opposite his desk, and he was ready to _gaanynir_ the man himself, without a disguise. When someone often worked late and had a high turnover of secretaries who were all young, female and non-human, it wasn’t hard to draw conclusions. What disturbed him even more was a medical note update. He’d only scanned that briefly, but it took his already low opinion of the creature to a new low. To a Vod, that was unacceptable, in almost any imaginable way. _Ade_ were your responsibility, no matter what.

But, then again, only a _shabla hut’uun_ would call a _Jetii_ that anyway. So, Fox’s low expectations had merely been confirmed. And now it was time to do something about it. The suggestion of simply donning a shiny set of armour and going to kick the _hut’uun’s shebs_ was extremely tempting. It’d pay him back for insulting one of Rex’s _jetti_.

And then he smiled.

He had a better idea. One that would turn the _hut’uun’s_ own weapons against him. Perhaps it wasn’t the Mandalorian thing to do to them. But Fox wanted to send a message. _Jetti_ are off-limits. To anyone who wants to hurt them.

He packaged up all of his research, neatly, in a single file, with footnotes and citations. And then he sent it directly to one of Coruscant’s top investigative outlets. They’d take their time. They’d verify it. And then they’d destroy the _hut’uun’s_ life and reputation completely, with his own actions.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

A month later, Ahsoka was eating a typical breakfast (for her), consisting of 5 rashers of bacon, three sausages and approximately seven eggs worth of scrambled egg. She felt Rex approaching, from behind, feeling very pleased with himself, before he dropped a flimsiplast newspaper in front of her.

She picked it up, feeling as if she’d taken a punch to the gut, and then read the title:

‘ _Glossip Magazine reporter outed as sexual predator_ …’ she read, silently.

Then she looked back at Rex. He winked.

And she felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. _Maybe the Force did guide me in picking up that magazine_. She thought to herself, as she poured a rasher coated in scrambled egg down her throat, before heading off to find Skyguy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't entirely sure about the basic concept, here, but it was what I ended up with from quite early on.
> 
> Mando'a Translations:  
> Jetti: Jedi  
> Jetti'ika: Little Jedi (ika as a suffix is a term of endearment, roughly equivalent to the Japanese suffix chan)  
> Vod: Brother (used by clones to address each other)  
> Jetti'alors: Jedi Council (Lit: Jedi bosses/leadership)  
> shabuir: Insult  
> veriduur: lit: Courtesan. Used as 'prostitute/whore'  
> Nar'sheb: Contemptuous comment - like *shove it* but much stronger.  
> Mun'bajir: teach someone a lesson, lit 'kick arse'.  
> Shebs: backside  
> kalik’kads: small knife designed for stabbing  
> Gaanynir: Punch  
> Ade: child/children  
> Shabla: screwed up - impolite  
> Hut’uun: Extreme insult


End file.
